Revolving theater seat chair



Nov. 16 1926.

J. M. BIRDSALL REVOLVING THEATER SEAT CHAIR Fi1ed sept. 26, 1925 Mmmm Util EDY STATE.

paraat A estaca.

JOHN M. BIRDSALL, OF TOMS BETER, NEW' JERSEY.

REVOLVING THEATER SEAT CHAB Application filed September This invention provides a chair having a back, arm and seat which provides for the passage of a person in front of the one occupying the chair without the necessity of the occupant rising.

ln theaters and other places of public assemblage in which the seats are lined, persons seated are required to rise in order to permit others to pass to and fro, thereby 1U causing inconvenience and annoyance to the one already seated and vexation to others, particularly after the performance has started.

ln accordance with the present invention, e main frame of the chair, including the back, arms and stand, is fixed, whereas the seat is mounted to turn either to the right or left, as required, or to swing upwardly against the back to be out of the way when unoccupied to admit of the iioor being readily swept.

`While the accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that in adapting the means to meet specific needs and requirements, the design may be varied, and such other changes in the minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the invention as claimed, without departing from the spirit thereof.

For full understanding of the invention,

and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached, in which,- 5 Figure l is a side view of the chair illustrative of the invention, the dotted lines indicating the seat and seat rest folded upward against the back,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the chair,

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line 3 8 of Figure l looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure d is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line lff of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in the several views ofthe drawings by like reference characters.

The chair in general comprises a stand l, a back 2, arms 3, seat a' and seat rest 5. rlhe stand or pedestal l, back 2, and arms 3, may be of any design `or construction according to the caprice of the manufacturer, or particular requirements of the trade, and are tired, whereas the seat l is mounted to ce, 1925. serial No. 58,846,

turn about-a vertical pivot 6 and to move with the seat rest 5 which is mounted to turn about a horizontal axis designated by the pivots 7, which connect the seat rest to the stand l, as indicated most clearly in Fignre 3.

Vifhile the seat rest 5 is shown as consisting of a U-shaped frame, it is to be understood that it may be of any formation depending upon the design of the chair as a whole, and it is pivoted to the upper rear portion of the stand l so as to swing upwardly, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1, thereby admitting of the seat 4 folding against the back 2, whereby to provide a maximum space to admit of the floor being readily swept and otherwise cleaned.

The seat l which may be of any preferred construction, and configuration, is mounted upon the cross piece of the seat rest 5 and has a depending stud 6 which is received in a socket 8 of the seat rest, and these elements 6 and 8 constituting the pivot connection, may be of any formation.

Locking means are associated with the seat d for securing it in normal position when occupied, and as shown, these locking means yconsist of a. latch 9 slidably mounted in guides l0 and engageable in an opening 11 of the socket 8, a spring 12 normally holding the latch 9 in engagement with the socket 8. A knob 13 at the outer end of the latch 9 extends within convenient reach to be grasped and pulled upon to disengage the latch 9 from the socket 8, when it is required to turn the seat either to the right or to the left so that a person may pass in front of the occupant of the seat without necessitating such occupant to rise. The direction in which the seat is turned will depend upon whether the moving person is passing` in or out, as will be readily appreciated. lt will be understood that the relative dimensions and arrangements are such as to admit of the seat being turned with the person thereon so as to provide ample room for the ingress or egress of themoving person. Then the theater or other place of assemblage is unoccupied, the seat may be folded against the back of the chair as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure l to provide ready access to the floor for cleaning or for any other desired purpose.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

l. In a. chair of the character specified,

a stand, u seat rest vpivoted tothe upper i rear portion of the stand to be swung into vertical position, a seat pivoted to the outer forward portion of the seat rest to turn 5 about ay vertical axis and looking means between the seat and seat rest to secure the seat in predetermined position.

2. i A chair of the character specified, coniprising a stand, a U-slmped seat rest pivoted at its free ends to the upper rear p0rtion of the stand to be swung into vertical position, a seat pivotally mounted upon the outer forward portion of the seat rest to turn about a Vertical axis, and a spring actuated latch mounted upon the seat and adapted 15 to engage the seat rest pivot connection and liold they seat in normal position.

' In testimony whereof I zifx my signature.

JOHN M. BIRDSALL. [1; Sp] 

